Conservationists oppose Eiger North Face tourist attraction

Jungfrau Railways wants to develope the mountain top infrastructre Keystone / Anthony Anex

Nature conservation groups are opposing plans by Jungfrau Railways to develope the Eigergletscher station tourist destination in Switzerland.

Jungfrau Railways generated almost CHF200 million in revenue from the Jungfraujoch mountain tourist service in 2025 – and the company believes there’s potential for even more. Since capacity is limited in the uppermost section of the line, it wants to build a 200-seat Asian restaurant and an interactive museum about the Eiger North Face at the Eigergletscher station.

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However, locals from the valley and nature conservationists are now opposing the plans.

Simply gazing up at the Eiger North Face is no longer enough for today’s visitors, according to Jungfrau CEO Oliver Hammel. Visitors want to ‘climb’ themselves and experience the most challenging sections of the sheer rock face – and for that, an interactive museum is necessary.

The aim is not to attract more visitors, but to improve the overall experience, the company says. According to the master plan, shops, sports equipment rentals, and new accommodation options are also planned for the Eiger Glacier – in buildings dating back to the railway construction era that are currently unused.

In a report obtained by Swiss public broadcaster SRF, nature and landscape conservation groups accuse Jungfrau Railways of using underhand tactics to advance the project piecemeal.

Political obstacles

The commissioning of the new Eiger Express gondola in 2019 already significantly increased capacity. Further expansion was never discussed at that time, said Franziska Grossenbacher, co-director of the Swiss Landscape Protection Foundation.

The argument about the quality of stay is a pretext, she added. If additional tourist facilities were created, they would inevitably attract even more tourists.

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The construction of the museum requires a land swap between the municipalities of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. Last December, however, the Grindelwald parliament rejected this proposal. The general sentiment was that before the next expansion of capacity, Jungfrau Railways must first provide financial resources to solve the traffic problems in the village. Negotiations are ongoing.

Grindelwald’s refusal is a warning shot for the Jungfrau Railways. A recent study by the Jungfrau Region tourism organisation shows that almost 90% of residents in the eastern Bernese Oberland believe that tourism places too much strain on traffic and infrastructure.

Local politician Stephanie Gartenmann says a tipping point has been reached regarding public opinion on transportation. Together with fellow parliamentarians from the Bernese Oberland, she is calling on the canton of Bern, in a motion, to develop a comprehensive plan outlining where transportation infrastructure can be expanded.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.